The Ultra-Rich Color Trend That Is Chocolate Brown's Close Cousin

If you’ve spent any time scrolling through social media recently, it’s hard to deny that there are some shades that everyone’s obsessed with at the moment. Burgundy? It’s blown up. Dove gray? It’s the new neutral. Olive green? It’s basically the embodiment of fall. While I’d consider myself a fan of each of these colors, I’ll confess that I’ve reached the point where they’ve begun to feel a tad bit saturated to me. Maybe it’s a hazard of the occupation, but I’ve found that while I rationally understand these shades are still great investments for the season, the ideal of showing up in the same shade as everyone else sends shivers down my spine. Luckily, there’s one other color trend that hasn’t fully caught on yet that I’m thoroughly convinced will become the next thing: plum. Given the context of previous color trends, it’s perfectly rational to assume plum will follow in the footsteps of its “close-cousins,” chocolate and merlot.

While it’s worth noting that specific lighting can make this shade of dark purple seem similar to the colors we’ve seen dominate the runway, it’s distinctly different. Far less vibrant than merlot but still not as dark as chocolate brown, the plum color trend is a particularly moody version of purple that has largely been pushed to the side (until now). Across recent collections, we saw this shade surface as decadent variations of eggplant, aubergine, violet, mulberry, and even dark fig. Unlike lilac or lavender, this shade of purple is compelling to adopt right now because it’s closely related to other winter shades we’ve all come to love. While still being cool enough for those of us who want to wear a color that hasn’t been spotted everywhere. Admittedly, my initial desire was to gatekeep this color trend, but I’ve decided to do my duty as an editor to prove why this color is poised to become the next big thing.

Ahead, you’ll find examples of how to style the plum color trend based on its presence in the fall/winter 2024 and spring/summer 2025 collections. Plus, I’ve rounded up some of the best purple pieces for the season at every price point. Consider this your sign: you can still look sophisticated without wearing the same shades as everyone else.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Burberry F/W 24)

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Gucci F/W 24)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Fendi F/W 24)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Remain F/W 24)

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Erdem F/W 24)

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(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Ferragamo F/W 24)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Tibi S/S 25)

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: The Attico S/S 25)